Car-coupling



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J. D. CLARK.

' GAR COUPLING.

No. 393,143. Patented Nov. 20, 1888.

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JOHN D. CLARK, OF CLARE, MICHIGAN.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393.143, dated November 20, 1888.

- Application filed JunelS, 1888. Serial No. 277,436. (No modeLl To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glare, in the county of Clare and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gar- Couplers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic car-couplings; and my invention belongs to that class of couplings known as hook couplings.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination of a draw-head and hook, all as more fully hereinafter described,and shown in the drawings accompanying this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of the end of a car provided with my improved hook-coupling. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section lon gitudinally through the couplings of two adjoining cars, one in full lines and one in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is abottom plan of two couplings engaging with each other. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on line at w in Fig. 1. Fig; 5 is a cross-section on line 51 y of Fig. 3.

A is adraw-bar, made in the form of a rectangular box, the sides and ends being preferably made of a continuous wrought-iron plate, a, with the cast-iron plate Z) between the sides. This cast-iron plate is provided at its forward end with the draw-head c, which is provided with the ordinary means for the link-and-pin coupling, a suitable opening, d, being provided in the front end of the draw-head.

Bis a coupling-hook centrally secured in the forward end of the draw-head by means of the transverse pivot-pin O, and this couplinghook projects forwardly and rearwardly below the draw-bar. The forward end terminates in the upwardly-turned hook D, which projects forward sufficiently to engage on the under side, 6, of the forward end of the companion draw-bar, as shown. The rear'end, E, of the coupling-hook forms a counter-weight to hold the hook normally in its highest position, in which position it impinges against the lower edge, e, of the draw-bar. This edge is sufficiently re-enforced by the lip f, formed there -lars, 9, upon the pin,and with suflicient looseness to allow the end of the hook of the adjoining coupler to pass to either side of it; and, to prevent the hooks from coming in violent contact with each other in the act of coupling, the forward ends of the hooks are beveled.

The draw-bar is supported at its rear end with the usual draft apparatus, and at its forward end it is supported in the stirrup F, which is secured to the under side of the car, and embraces the sides of the draw-head, terminating at its lower ends in guides h, in which the lower end of the draw-head slidingly engages. To allow the draw-bar to be readily dismounted in case of repairs, the rear end of the draw-head is cut away at i, so that after disconnecting the draw-bar from the draft apparatus the draw-bar may be Withdrawn endwise through the stirrup without disturbing the stirrup.

The means for uncoupling the hook consist of the coupling-levers L, pivotall y secured to the rear ends of the cars in any suitable manner, and projecting to the outside thereof, the inner ends being connected by means of suitable chains, M, with the couplinghook at the point in the rear of the pivot-pin. The outer ends of these levers pass through the guides M, and then these guides are provided with the stops 0, with which the levers L may engage in their depressed condition to prevent the coupling-hook from coupling. For freightcars the coupling-rod P is provided to extend to the top of the car, and this coupling-rod is provided with a suitable catch, Q, for a similar purpose,of preventing the coupling of the hook by engaging the catch Q, with a suitable s p, R

In practice, the parts being arranged and constructed substantially as shown and described, the normal position of the hook is shown in Fig. 2, wherein the counterweighted end of the coupling-hook holds the hook in position ready to engage automatically with the draw-bar of the adjoining car, as described.

Thus if two cars provided with this coupling are pushed in contact with each other the hooks are first automatically depressed until they pass the lower edge of the forward ends of the draw-bars, and then are automatically engaged thereon by the action of the counterweighted ends of the hooks. Thus the coupler is a safety-coupler, as any two cars are connected by two hooks, and the hooks being free to play or oscillate to a limited degree to either side the cars are free to follow all the vibrations and curves of the track without binding or any liability of bending the coupling-hooks. By depressing either of the levers L and engaging it with the stop 0, the coupling of meeting cars is prevented; or if the rod P is raised and engaged with the stop the same effect is obtained.

The construction of the draw-head allows the coupling to be used in connection with the ordinary link-and-pin coupling if the hooks should be inoperative or broken or other cars with link-and-pin couplings be brought to be coupled therewith.

By constructing the draw-bar in the manner described, great lightness and strength are obtained, While at the sametime sufficient room is provided for the weighted end of the coupling-hook to be withdrawn in case of uncoupling.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The herein described drawbar, constructed in the form of a rectangular box having the sides and ends constructed of wroughtiron plate, and of the cast-iron top secured thereto and provided with the draw-head for link-and-pin coupling, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-bar consisting substantially of the rect angular box formed of the sides and ends a and the top I), 'provided at its forward end with the draw-head for link-and-pin coupling, the counterweighted coupling-hook pivotally mounted in said draw-bar in the longitudinal center thereof and adapted to play in a vertical plane below the draw-bar and provided with a lateral play, and having at one end the hook D, beveled at its forward end, and the lip or re-enforcement formed on the forward end of the draw-bar to engage with the hook, substantially as described. H

3. Inacar-coupling,thecombination,withthe draw-bar, substantially in the form of a rectangular box formed of the sides and ends a and-top plate, I), of the stirrup F, provided with the guides h, with which the draw-bar slidingly engages, substantially as described.

terweighted rear end of the hook, the lip 6,

formed at the forward end of the draw-bar, the coupling-chain M, secured near the rear end of the drawhook, and the uncoupling-levers L, all arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witncsses,this 6th day of June, 1888.

JOHN D. CLARK.

YVitnesses:

MILLARD F. CHAMBERLIN, WILLIAM A. GOODMAN. 

